


The One That Got Away

by BBCGirl657



Series: Actor One-shots [8]
Category: British Actor RPF, Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF, Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) RPF, The Avengers (Movies) RPF, Thor (Movies) RPF, Unrelated (2007) RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2015-10-17
Packaged: 2018-02-19 12:44:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2388689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BBCGirl657/pseuds/BBCGirl657
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Lily ever wanted to do was be a dancer, but it's not enough to be able to dance. She gets accepted into RADA, where she meets Tom.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cover Art




	2. Collide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by "Collide" by Howie Day

Lily sprinted to the mailbox and opened it. 

There sat the letter that would change her life. 

“Dear Ms. Whitham, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts”, she read. She screamed with delight. 

Little did she know how much this would change her life.

 

First thing you have to know about lily is that she knew nothing about acting. She wanted to dance, but she knew that just being able to dance wasn’t going to get her anywhere. But the first time she set foot in that building, she felt like she belonged. As she was admiring the architecture of the building, she ran into someone. 

Two arms wrapped themselves around her and stopped her from falling. 

Lily looked up at the face of her savior. 

Blue eyes and a head full of ginger/blonde curls. 

“I am so sorry”, she said blushing. 

The boy let go of her. 

“It’s quite alright. I wasn’t watching where I was going either”, he said. Even his voice was attractive. “I’m Tom. Tom Hiddleston”, he told her. 

“Lily Whitham”, she said. 

“It was nice to meet you Lily Whitham”, he said, “Maybe we’ll see each other around”. 

“Maybe”, Lily said giving him a small smile.

 

Day one was the most nerve wracking day of Lily’s life. She entered the room and found everyone standing around awkwardly. 

“Good morning class”, their teacher said, “If you would all please sit in a circle, we’re going to get to know each other”. 

This was the thing Lily dreaded. Ice-breakers. 

She felt better when she noticed that Tom had picked the spot across from her. Lily was shy, whereas everyone else was expressive and outgoing. 

Tom was so focused on her that when it came his turn, the person sitting next to him had to hit him on the arm to bring him back to reality. He blushed and chuckled nervously. He looked over at Lily, who was giggling at his embarrassment. 

She looked beautiful when she laughed or smiled. 

He introduced himself and did one of his impressions to make everyone laugh, but his number one goal was to get Lily to laugh again. 

When class was over, Tom approached Lily as she was getting her stuff. 

“Nice save”, she said, referring to his introduction. 

“Thanks”, he said.

“See you around”, she said.

“Yeah”, he said. He sighed as he watched her walk down the hallway to go back to her dorm. 

Tom knew he was in love with her the moment they had collided in the corridor.


	3. Meet You There

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by "Meet You There" by Busted

Over the next few weeks, Tom heard whispers about Lily in the hallways. 

How she was a failure in every class, how she ate lunch alone on the quad, how she was shy and shouldn’t even be at a school for actors. 

He tried not to pay attention to them, but sometimes it was hard not to lash out at everyone.

 

“Hey you”, Tom said sitting down next to Lily. 

“Sure you want to be seen with me?” she asked him. 

“Course. Why not?” he asked. 

“Please”, she said. 

“No really. Why not?” he asked her. 

“First week here and I already have a nickname. Lily the Loner”, she told him, tears starting to run down her face. 

Tom could never understand how people could be so cruel and mean to such nice people. He took Lily in his arms and stroked her hair, trying to calm her. 

“I’m a crap actor”, she told him, “I shouldn’t even be here”.

“Everyone has a right to be here”, he said.

“Easy for you to say. You’ve got talent”, she said pulling away from him. 

“Okay, so you’re bad at every class, but there’s got to be something you’re good at”, he said. 

“Yeah, but they don’t teach it here”, she said softly, “I came here because what I’m good at isn’t enough to put food on the table”. 

“So I guess that rules out stripping”, he said. 

Lily gasped playfully and smacked him on the chest. 

Tom laughed and said, “It was a joke”. 

“You’re a regular Romeo you are”, she told him. 

Tom’s lips were suddenly on hers.

Lily froze.

When Tom pulled away, she asked him, "Why did you do that?"

"Because I wanted to", he told her.

 

Tom was in the hallway when he heard people whispering about Lily, who was down the hall. 

“Maybe you should shut-up”, Tom said. 

“What was that Hiddleston?” Drew asked. 

“You don’t know anything about Lily”, Tom snapped. 

“What? And you do? You know Lily the Loner?” he asked Tom. 

Lily, noticing the conflict brewing, stepped in between the two boys. “Tom. Don’t”, she told him, “It’s not worth it”. 

“Run along and listen to your little girlfriend Hiddleston”, Drew taunted. 

Tom’s fist connected with his jaw. 

“Tom!” Lily shrieked. 

Someone in the hallway pulled her back as the two boys started fighting. 

Two teachers pulled them apart. 

“This is a professional school! You are adults!” one of the teachers scolded. 

Lily rushed to Tom’s side and helped him up. 

“Miss Whitham, I should have known you were the cause”, Mr. Naftali said, “Mr. Hiddleston, please see me in my office after you’ve cleaned yourself up. Mr. Bernal, now”. 

Tom glared at Drew as he followed Naftali to his office. 

Lily took Tom back to his dorm and helped him tend to his battle wounds. “You didn’t need to do that”, she told him. 

“Of course I did”, he said, “Can we meet afterward?” 

“Sure. Meet you at our spot”, Lily said. 

“Meet you there”, he said. 

Lily lightly kissed Tom, careful of his busted lip.


	4. Dance With Me

Sometimes, when Lily was stressed and wanted to get away, she retreated to one of the acting rooms and danced.

Today, the students of RADA had been especially cruel to her.

She had tripped up during her monologue in her Shakespeare class and had been ridiculed for it afterward.

Tom had witnessed it all. He had tried to catch up with her after class, since she had fled the classroom in tears.

She threw her stuff down and pulled out her portable iHome. She plugged her iPod in and selected a song. She closed her eyes and started to dance.

 

Tom had been searching for Lily ever since the incident with her monologue. He had asked everyone he saw if they had seen her. Finally he found someone who told they heard she had headed for one of the acting rooms.

He searched the acting rooms until he heard music coming from one of them. He walked closer and quietly opened the door. Tom was shocked when he saw it was Lily dancing.

This explained why she was so good in their movement classes.

Tom stood in the doorway and watched Lily dance.

When she was done, he started clapping.

She turned and blushed. “Tom! I didn’t know you were standing there!” she said.

“Sorry”, he said, “I didn’t know you could dance”.

Lily walked over to her stuff. She shoved her iPod and iHome into her bag. “It’s not enough to be able to dance, Tom”, she told him sadly.

Tom wanted to go after her, but he thought it best to let her go.

 

A few days later, Tom managed to coax Lily out of her room.

She found herself in one of the courtyards sitting under a tree trying to concentrate on the monologue in front of her. She was not going to screw this one up.

The guys were slacking off and playing a game of football.

“C’mon Lil! Come play!” Tom yelled.

“Unlike you, Shakespeare, we’re not all good at reciting him”, she yelled back.

 _Shakespeare? Well two can play at that game_ , Tom thought. “C’mon Bunhead!” he taunted, “Afraid you’ll twist your ankle and not be able to dance?”

She stood up and threw her script to the ground. She walked up to Tom and snatched the football from his hands. She heard whispers from the other students.

“Bunhead? Is that why she’s here?” one student asked another.

“Doesn’t she know they don’t teach dance here?” another asked.

Lily ignored the whispers and started playing football with the guys.

 

Lily’s monologue had gone better than the first one.

She was in one of the acting rooms when she heard, “C’mon. It wasn’t that bad”.

“I’m not trying to escape”, Lily told him as Tom wrapped his arms around her.

“Then why are you hiding out in here?” he asked her.

“I just simply wanted to dance”, she answered, “Dance with me”.

“What?” Tom asked.

“Dance with me”, she repeated. She put on a slow song and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Tom wrapped his arms around her waist as they swayed.

“I love you Tom Hiddleston”, Lily told him.

“I love you Lily Whitham”, Tom said leaning down to kiss her. Tom knew right then that she was the one.


	5. I Work Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily goes to the Donmar to watch Tom practice and ends up surprising him…in more than one way.

Lily got out of the cab in front of the Donmar Warehouse where Tom was currently staring as Caius Marcius in Coriolanus. 

Ballet practice had ended earlier than expected this morning, so Lily had picked up some lunch for herself and Tom. She entered the theater. 

“Lily!” Josie said approaching her.

“Hey Josie”, Lily said, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything”. 

“No, no. Tom’s just getting his makeup done”, she told her. 

Josie led Lily further into the theater.

As they passed Tom’s various co-stars, Lily stopped and talked to them.

“You really must come to dinner with us soon”, Mark told her.

“I’ll see what I can do”, she told him, “Say hi to Ben for me next time you see him”. 

“I will”, Mark said. 

“C’mon”, Josie said, “I’m sure your husband is getting hungry”. 

Lily smiled at the title. She still wasn’t quite used to Tom being called her husband after 4 years of him being her boyfriend, more like her whole lifetime. 

They had been married in a small, quiet ceremony with only their family and close friends. 

Chris, of course, was Tom’s best man since he was the one responsible for reuniting them. 

Finally, Lily saw Tom. 

He was standing there shirtless with one of the makeup girls creating his wounds. Tom smiled when he saw Lily. 

She walked up to him and he leaned down to kiss her lips.

“Hello Mrs. Hiddleston”, Tom said. 

“Mr. Hiddleston”, Lily said smiling, “I brought you lunch”. She pulled the salad out the plastic bag. 

“Thank you, darling”, Tom said. As Tom ate, they talked about Lily’s day. “How was ballet practice?” he asked her. 

“It was good”, she told him.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine, Tom”, she reassured him. 

Tom could tell she was lying, but he didn’t press her.

Once the makeup girl was done, Tom threw on a muscle shirt and grabbed his sword. “You can stay and watch if you want”, he told her. 

“I think I will. I’ve got nowhere to be this afternoon”, she said. 

“But I thought you had practice? Don’t the principals practice by themselves in the afternoon?” Tom asked. 

“Not today”, she told him. 

“Lily…” Tom said, “Please tell me what’s wrong”. 

“I already told you, I’m fine”, she snapped, “Can we talk about this later please?”

Tom sighed and let the subject go. 

She sat down against the back wall as she watched Tom and Hadley practice their fight scene.

It always amazed her how Tom could slip into character without even trying. 

There was reason Tom had excelled at RADA and Lily had barely squeaked by. Her father dying was a blessing in disguise. The money she inherited had been enough to pay for dance school in her native country of Australia. 

As Tom did pull-ups and sit-ups, she could help but notice how the muscles in his arms moved and the way he clenched his jaw.

She knew she’d have to tell him eventually. 

* * *

That night, Lily watched Tom get ready for his performance. “Tom, there’s something I have to tell you”, she said.

“Lil, can this wait? I’m trying to get ready”, he told her.

“This is important!” she snapped.

He stopped what he was doing and looked at her. 

“You asked me earlier if something was wrong and there is”, she said. 

“You’re not regretting us getting married are you?” he asked her. 

She cupped her face in his hands and said, “Oh no, darling. It’s nothing like that”.

“Then what is it?” he asked. 

Lily took a deep breath.

“Just tell me, baby”, he told her. 

“Tom…I’m pregnant”, she said. 

Tom’s heart stopped and he momentarily forgot how to breathe.

“I’m scared, Tom”, she told him. 

“It’s okay. Most first time parents are”, he reassured her.

“You don’t understand, Tom”, she said, “This could ruin my dancing career”. 

“That’s bullshit”, Tom said. 

Lily shoved him away from her. “You’re not a dancer, Tom! You don’t get it!” she yelled.

“Would you keep it down?!” he hissed, “You can’t run away from this Lily. Not like at RADA”. 

“You arsehole!” she snapped, “That wasn’t my fault!”

“You could have come back, but you didn’t!” he yelled. 

Lily knew deep down that he was right, but didn’t want to admit it. 

“You left me”, he said, his voice breaking, “You left me”.

“I’m sorry, Tom”, she told him.

“Don’t run away from this, Lily. Not again”, he said, “Please don’t run away. I know you’re scared, but we’ll get through this together”. He wrapped his arms around her and she set her head on his chest.

“I understand where all the anger for Caius comes from now”, she told him.

Tom smiled and said, “I love you, Lily”. 

“I love you too, Tom”, Lily said.


End file.
